In a Tuesday afternoon matchup, the Hargrave Tigers took down the Tigers of Carolina Basketball Academy (GA) by a final score of 109-100. The win moved Hargrave to 8-0 on the season and added to the 26-game home winning streak inside Walter Davis Gymnasium.
The Hargrave Tigers started out quick as they built a 42-17 advantage despite some early foul trouble from Will Felton (Raleigh, NC) and IJ Ezuma (Raleigh, NC). After Felton picked up his second foul, it appeared that Carolina Basketball Academy (GA) found their stride and closed the Hargrave advantage to 7, with Hargrave clinging to a 59-52 lead at halftime. Head Coach, Thomas Messinger, when asked at halftime remarked, “We scored the ball really well in the first half but we could clean up some things defensively. I loved our energy and I thought our guards found ways to battle with Will (Felton) and IJ (Ezuma) in foul trouble. We are taking steps forward and continue to tackle adversity as a team.”
Tackle adversity the Hargrave Tigers did, as Carolina Basketball Academy (GA) hung around for most of the second half, getting to within four points before a string of timely baskets and defensive stops, capped off by a tremendous block by Ezuma pushed the Tigers back to a double digit advantage. As a team, the Tigers tallied 38 rebounds, 20 assists, 15 steals, and shot 53% from the field while canning 9 three-pointers. Hargrave got strong contributions from their backcourt group of Jackie Johnson (Wichita, KS), Miles Kelly (Atlanta, GA), Tyler Beard (Chicago, IL) and Jordan Battle (Chesapeake, VA) in addition to solid performances from Felton and Ezuma en route to the 109-100 victory. “I thought we rose to the occasion this evening as a team. Carolina Basketball Academy (GA) is a scrappy team and they challenged us on both ends of the floor. These types of victories help to build team chemistry and resilience that will carry on throughout the season. Really solid win for our group and now we shift our focus to this weekend and the Hargrave Holiday Classic!”
Notable Performances Included:
Jackie Johnson–29 points (12-18 FG), 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Miles Kelly–26 points (8-16 FG), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Tyler Beard–18 points (6-12 FG), 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 5 steals
Will Felton–15 points (2-2 FG, 11-16 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Jordan Battle–13 points (4-7 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals
IJ Ezuma–5 points (2-3 FG), 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
The Tigers are back in action this weekend as they host the Hargrave Holiday Classic inside Walter Davis Gymnasium. On Friday evening, Hargrave matches up with Winston-Salem Christian School for an 8:00 PM tip-off followed by a Saturday matinee matchup against Carolina Basketball Academy (NC) with a 2:00 PM tip-off. Both games will be streamed on HMA Video (YouTube).
